Heat sealable inflator

Abstract

An inflator adapted to be heat-sealed directly to an inflatable article thereby obviating the need for inflation manifolds and the like. The inflator of the invention comprises a housing having an integrally formed mounting flange composed of a plastic material such as polyurethane, polyester or polyether capable of being easily sealed to the materials conventionally used in the manufacture of inflatable articles such as personal floatation devices, rafts, buoys and emergency signaling equipment. A pierce pin assembly is reciprocatably mounted within a bore in the housing. A firing lever is pivotably connected to the rear of the housing in alignment with the rearward end of the bore and is operatively configured such that upon pivotable movement by means of a lanyarded ball, the pierce pin assembly is forced forwardly within the bore to pierce the frangible seal of the gas cartridge. Upon piercing, the gas in the gas cartridge escapes into the bore and then into the inflatable article via a port formed within the housing from the bore to the exterior of the housing at a position located interially of the inflatable article, thereby inflating the inflatable article.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An inflator for inflating an inflatable article with gas from a gas cartridge, comprising in combination: an inflator housing including a bore;   means at one end of said bore for receiving the gas cartridge;   a pierce pin assembly reciprocatably positioned within said bore;   means at another end of said bore for actuating said pierce pin assembly to allow gas from the gas cartridge to flow into said bore;   means for fluidly connecting said bore to the inflatable article to allow the gas to inflate the inflatable article, said fluid connection means comprising a flange integrally formed about the periphery of said inflator housing, said flange being heat sealable with the inflatable article such that said inflator housing may be positioned about an aperture in the inflatable article and said flange heat sealed to the inflatable article about the aperture; and   said pierce pin assembly comprising rear seal means for sealing a rearward portion of said bore and a slidable seal assembly means capable, during inflation of the inflatable article, of being blown-back by the pressure of the gas from the gas cartridge and, after inflation, forming a seal with a forward portion of said bore to prevent the gas in the inflatable article from escaping therefrom forwardly through said bore.   
     
     
       2. The inflator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said slidable seal assembly comprises a gasket and means for urging said gasket forwardly to form a seal with said forward portion of said bore. 
     
     
       3. The inflator as set forth in claim 2, wherein said gasket comprises forward and rearward O-rings positioned on a retainer for sealing forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of said fluidly connecting means. 
     
     
       4. An inflator for inflating an inflatable article with gas from a gas cartridge, comprising in combination: an inflator housing including a bore;   means at one end of said bore for receiving the gas cartridge;   a pierce pin assembly which is reciprocatably positioned within said bore;   means at another end of said bore for actuating said pierce pin assembly to allow gas from the gas cartridge to flow into said bore;   means for fluidly connecting said bore to the inflatable article to allow the gas to inflate the inflatable article; and   said pierce pin assembly comprising rear seal means for sealing a rearward portion of said bore and a slidable seal assembly means capable, during inflation of the inflatable article, of being blown-back by the pressure of the gas from the gas cartridge and, after inflation, forming a seal with a forward portion of said bore to prevent the gas in the inflatable article from escaping therefrom forwardly through said bore, said slidable seal assembly comprising a gasket and means for urging said gasket forwardly to form a seal with said forward portion of said bore, said gasket being mounted onto a gasket retainer and both said gasket and said gasket retainer being positioned about a pierce pin of said pierce pin assembly such that said gasket forms a sliding seal with said pierce pin.   
     
     
       5. The inflator as set forth in claim 4, wherein said gasket retainer comprises a substantially disk-shaped configuration. 
     
     
       6. The inflator as set forth in claim 4, wherein said bore includes a protrusion for forming a seal with said gasket when urged forwardly into engagement therewith. 
     
     
       7. The inflator as set forth in claim 4, wherein said gasket retainer includes a rim for providing additional support to said gasket. 
     
     
       8. The inflator as set forth in claim 4, wherein said gasket includes an annular rim encircling the circumference of said gasket retainer that seals against the lumen of said bore. 
     
     
       9. An inflator for inflating an inflatable article with gas from a gas cartridge, comprising in combination: an inflator housing including a bore;   means at one end of said bore for receiving the gas cartridge;   a pierce pin assembly reciprocatably positioned within said bore;   means at another end of said bore for actuating said pierce pin assembly to allow gas from the gas cartridge to flow into said bore, said actuator means comprising a firing lever having a pivot hole with a plurality of protrusions protruding about the circumference of said pivot hole;   said inflator including a pivot pin extending through said pivot hole and operatively connected to said housing;   means for fluidly connecting said bore to the inflatable article to allow the gas to inflate the inflatable article; and   said pierce pin assembly comprising rear seal means for sealing a rearward portion of said bore and a slidable seal assembly means capable, during inflation of the inflatable article, of being blown-back by the pressure of the gas from the gas cartridge and, after inflation, forming a seal with a forward portion of said bore to prevent the gas in the inflatable article from escaping therefrom forwardly through said bore.   
     
     
       10. A method for inflating an inflatable article with gas from a gas cartridge, comprising the steps of: providing an inflator housing including a flange formed integrally about the periphery of the housing and composed of a material that is heat sealable with the inflatable article, the inflator housing also including a bore;   receiving the gas cartridge at one end of the bore;   reciprocatably positioning a pierce pin assembly within the bore;   actuating the pierce pin assembly to allow gas from the gas cartridge to flow into the bore;   heat sealing the flange about an aperture in the inflatable article to fluidly connect the bore to the inflatable article to allow the gas to inflate the inflatable article; and   sealing a rearward portion of the bore and, after inflation, forming a seal with a forward portion of the bore to prevent the gas in the inflatable article from escaping therefrom forwardly through the bore.   
     
     
       11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of forming a seal with a forward portion of the bore comprises providing a gasket and urging the gasket forwardly to form a seal with the forward portion of the bore. 
     
     
       12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the step of forming a seal with a forward portion of the bore includes the step of providing gasket retainer and mounting the gasket to the gasket retainer. 
     
     
       13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of positioning the gasket and the gasket retainer onto a pierce pin to form a sliding seal with the pierce pin. 
     
     
       14. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of positioning a first portion and a second portion of the gasket forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of the fluidly connecting means.